Wildcats Crack Top 25 in Media Poll for the First Time in 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - With the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman hovering around the 26-30 position in The Sports Network poll the previous four weeks, B-CU finally broke through this week, entering the polls in a tie for 24th with Eastern Illinois.

The latest ranking comes on the heels of the Wildcats claiming their fifth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title in school history, using a decisive 49-7 victory against Savannah State over the weekend in Savannah, Ga. Under Head Coach Brian Jenkins, the 'Cats have now claimed two of the last three league titles, also winning a share of the crown and the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs in 2010.

The Wildcats have appeared in the FCS Coaches Poll for the last three weeks, and now currently sit at 22nd, matching their ranking from last week.

Rankings may not mean a lot in the sense of conference titles or postseason accolades, but they do show appreciation. Appreciation for what is being done in Daytona Beach as far as work, dedication and the payoff in the form of media and coaches knowing and seeing what kind of effort and heart is being put into the program at Bethune-Cookman. It gives a sense of pride to show where others think you belong - not that Head Coach Brian Jenkins and his staff need anything to show or boost pride. That's something he instills into his young men from the second he walks into their homes for recruiting.

The FCS playoff bracket and host sites for the opening rounds will be announced Sunday, Nov. 18 during the FCS Selection Show, broadcast live on ESPNU at 1:30 p.m. Bethune-Cookman will be in contention to host an opening round game at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. A total of 20 teams advance to the FCS playoffs, with the championship game taking place Jan. 5 at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

The last two trips for B-CU into the FCS playoffs have been inside the friendly confines of Municipal Stadium, playing host to New Hampshire in 2010 - as well as current FBS opponent Florida Atlantic in 2003.

The 24th-ranked Wildcats will play their first game as a ranked team this weekend when they take on rival Florida A&M in the regular season finale as part of the Florida Blue Florida Classic at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

Tickets for the annual event are on sale now at the B-CU Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, or by logging on to TicketMaster.com.